What it means for trans folks when AI ‘verifies’ our genders

A new women-only app uses biometric software to determine users’ genders. For trans people, it’s yet another pseudo-scientific method of gatekeeping

By Alex V Green

Personal Essay

What being queer taught me about death

After my mother’s death, I turned to my queer community to learn how to grieve

By Zena Sharman

Health

Does being out help or hinder LGBTQ2 doctors?

Medical students applying for residency are asking that the application include an optional field to self-identify as queer

By Keren Landman

Relationships

How female friendships helped me celebrate my bisexuality

Because it’s our girl friends, not just our girlfriends, who are the greatest loves of our lives

By Andi Schwartz

Health

Getting coverage for top surgery is harder than you think. I would know

Last year, I finally decided it was time—but the insurance process is lengthy, frustrating and unnecessarily mysterious

By Abby Higgs

Books

12 LGBTQ2 books you won’t want to miss in 2020

From dystopian dramas, comedian memoirs and a queer spin on fairytales, you’ll be doing a *lot* of reading this year

By Eternity Martis

Identity

Saeed Jones is fighting for our lives

We sat down with the author of ‘How We Fight For Our Lives’ to talk about his memoir, writing about trauma and LGBTQ2 rights in the Trump era

By Eternity Martis

Identity

I’m a millennial lesbian, but I still want a traditional wedding

Does a big, white dress betray my queer politics?

By Lauren Strapagiel

Personal Essay

The barbershop is a refuge for Black men—but not if they’re queer

I grew up in the shop, a space for straight Black men to seek support, friendship and community. But for queer men like me, it’s hardly a haven

By Juwan J. Holmes

Love & Sex

Coming into my queer identity as a Somali teen

School work and learning the Quran took a backseat to pill popping and craving exotic boys

By Mohamed Abdulkarim Ali

Books

We can choose to consume each other, or we can choose love

Instead of punishment, let’s try understanding justice in queer and trans communities through an ethic of love

By Kai Cheng Thom

Personal Essay

I’m not a lesbian because of polycystic ovary syndrome

Why is science so obsessed with trying to find the cause of queerness?

By Lauren Strapagiel

Culture

The persistence of fat-shaming in queer TV

Shows like Queer Eye and The L Word attempt to be inclusive of all LGBTQ2 identities. But the lack of body diversity on the small screen still leaves much to be desired

By SE Fleenor

Culture

What’s non-binary about a fragrance campaign?

Gucci’s new ‘universal’ perfume is just another example of the misuse and abuse of non-binary and trans identities for commercial gain

By Alex V Green

Opinion

If lesbianism is sinking, I’m going down with the ship

It took me years to use the label ‘lesbian,’ to feel I had earned it. Even if others are discarding it, I refuse to let it go

By Lauren Strapagiel

Drag

Amid hateful backlash, ‘Drag Kids’ celebrates families and loving oneself

A new documentary showcases the talented generation of sashay-shantay

By Arvin Joaquin

Personal Essay

What makeup taught me about being a lesbian

For years I shunned lipstick and eyeliner for fear that I was either too queer, or not feminine enough

By Erica Lenti

Parenting

I’m a non-binary parent. There still isn’t space for me

I don’t fit the labels of ‘mom’ or ‘dad.’ It’s time society tackled the gendered expectations of parenthood

By andrea bennett